By NICK GIONGCO – Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, also the promoter of Manny Pacquiao, said his organization is working on finalizing a pay-per-view card that will feature Filipino world champions Nonito Donaire, Brian Viloria and Donnie Nietes and title hopeful Abe Concepcion.
“This is going to be a huge show,” said Arum, noting that the 45,000-seat AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, will be reconfigured to about 25,000 for the fight.
Arum was inspired to stage a promotion there after personally experiencing how Filipinos living in the Bay Area responded to Manny Pacquiao’s visit last month to promote his bout with Ricky Hatton.
Arum said Donaire might relinquish his International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight crown and attempt to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-fly belt of Jose Lopez of Puerto Rico.
In the other title fights, Nietes, holder of the WBO minimumweight diadem, will face mandatory challenger Manuel Vargas of Mexico, and Concepcion could finally meet Steven Luevano for the latter’s WBO feather title.
The identity of Viloria’s foe has yet to be decided, said Arum, stressing that a tough rival will be tapped to test the mettle of the Hawaiian Punch.
Donaire and Viloria took the spotlight last month when they bested their respective foes at the Araneta Coliseum.
Arum said the AT&T Park has never hosted a boxing event.
The TV rights for the event is expected to be fought over by Solar Sports and ABS-CBN.
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